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A-Fraud's MVP (Most Very Pathetic)series was a worthy topic for the strip today h.b.....and what was with Giambi's greaseball look last night? Does he need all that hair lube to make his hat fit his oversized juiced-up head?

"Our big stinking choke of a 3rd baseman deserves as much blame as anyone. If there is a god, Ortiz will somehow get the MVP, so we can stop hearing about how great A-Rod is. As much as we liked to pretend during the year, he was the last person at least I'd want to see up in a big situation. Waste of oxygen"

Probably written by a Red Sox insider but it's still music to my ears.

My wife, a White Sox fan, was watching the game cheering for the Yankees. She figured that the White Sox had a much better chance of beating them than beating the Angels. I told her that I sympathized for her viewpoint, and I do want to see the White Sox in the Series, but I just couldn't cheer for the Yankees; I am consitutionally unable to do so. She understood.

I was glad to see nobody got hurt in that center-field collision. Maybe someone at the 'Tute could fix up collision detectors for the outfielders and let Johnny, et. al. try them out.

What nobody has yet mentioned is the fact they bring in Dandy Randy to shore up the rotation kinda like the '04 SOX with Schill to deliver them to the World Series and he gets beat like a Chillocothian farm boy. Oh and another thing...A-Rod still doesn't have a World Series Ring.

The reason people all over this nation are so happy the SPANKS got bitch-slapped out of the playoffs is because you were such poor winners over the years and display such unbelievable hubris every year. It does my hear[t] good to know that many of the people who stood and cried in New York (or Missouri) last night were the same people who booed Mariano Rivera earlier in the season. They DESERVE to be miserable. They brought this misery on themselves. And as this team breaks apart in the off-season, they can wallow in that misery for years to come.

The next time (if there ever IS a next time in your lifetime) you find yourselves lucky enough to be on top, try to behave yourselves a little better. 26 rings in 86 years is nice, but it's no reason to go inflating the abilities of the "greatest sports franchise in history". And speaking of history - the 20th century is now officially history. Over. Done. Gone. Never to be repeated.

I felt it, despairingly, for a few days. New perspective today: a need to let go, breathe deep, enjoy the offseason watch and know that next year will be a new fresh start, probably with fewer well-known faces, that may very well end in disastah as easily as it could in glory and that there will be a lot of fun stops along the way. Just like life, really.

And you can bet your sweet arse I wouldn't be feeling quite that happy-go-lucky if the yanks were still in it! Schadenfreude is sweet indeed.

Now, here's the real question, boys and girls . . . since my back-of-envelope calculations have the Astros winning tons of matchups in the Cards series, and potentially with the Angels as well, can I officially root for Roger at this point? Does 'the story' of this year's Stros overcome the Blue Jays years, or the Yankees years, or the 'mailing it in to spite the Front Office' years?

It's impossible to root for the Fighting Guillens, who vomit all over intelligent baseball at the plate, and the Angels, to my mind, are moderately personality-free. Rooting for the Cardinals is like rooting for the Cubs, except the fans aren't as annoying - there's no need for more asses on that bandwagon.

But can I root for Roger? And yes, I realize how stereotypically "Red Sox Fan" this process is.

d56 - I have the same issue. Really, really, really do want to root for the 'stros. (Absolutely no can do for Chi!) It's a fun story and they do have some personality. But if to do so is in any way traitorous, then I'm out. Just not sure...every other team still in it is just flat out boring.

Just read the WSJ piece; congrats, H.B.! Good stuff. In a funny juxtaposition, check out the lame-ass Microsoft strip at the bottom of the page. You may be getting a call from Bill Gates regarding their ad biz, H.B.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the WSJ piece. I'm doing my own version of Manny's cocky homerun trot at this point.

And I felt like Jack Kerouac this morning waiting at the newstand for the first review of On the Road to come out in the Times. Unlike Kerouac, though, I haven't proceeded to drink an entire case of champagne and pass out blind drunk. But it's early yet...

What a fucking sack of shit that guy is. At this point I hope he does win his coveted award so it can burn at his soul (if he has one?) for the entire offseason. Typical "new" skankees- can't get it done when it matters most, just like '01, '02, '03, '04....

So who are we going to sign for center field after the Empire panics and tosses $50 million at Caveman? He's basically talked his way out of town with all that nonsense about five year deals and breaking the bank. If Theo wasn't biting for Pedro, he's certainly not going to for a 32 year old outfielder with no arm and injury woes.

Any truth to the theory that we're going to trade for Torii Hunter? And realistically, do we have the prospects it would require to pry him loose from the Twinkies?

The Yanks were sure eliminated last night but at least they were STILL playing. So the mystique and aura has come down to this: bragging that you extended a series to five games against a team that the Sox swept last year. Welcome to the 21st Century indeed, Spankee fans; great strip today HB and nice piece in the WSJ. Glad to see you've got a new t-shirt too.

It's fine by me if anybody wants to root for Roger to overcome his fear of the post-season and expunge his own demons with a World Series win. But I'll be rooting for Cranston, Rhode Island native Paul Konerko to carry Chi to the promised land, win the World Series MVP, sign a gigantuan free-agent contract, and reopen the Narragansett Brewery where it belongs -- in Cranston.

I know, I know, like that will happen. But as the old Jimmy Fund sign in center field used to say -- "I can dream, can't I?"

I'm still sticking with my White Sox pick to win it all, but sticking with the Schadenfreude theme, wouldn't it be great if it were a White Sox-Astros World Series, with Game 1 being won by Contreras, Game 2 by Petitte, Game 3 by Clemens, Game 4 by Contreras, Game 5 by Orlando Hernandez 1-0 against Petitte; Game 6 by other White Sox starter 1-0 vs. Clemens, and Game 7 by Contreras. That would be a wicked pissah...

Aaron- I'd love to see Hunter patrolling the triangle myself, but haven't heard anything lately about it. And, is there any word on his rehab on the ankle?

PSP- I'm with you. Local boy makes good. Plus, there's something soothing about the RightSox being eliminated by the eventual WS champ, if they had to lose, that is. My biggest problem with Chi is listening to Guillen's personal butt boys Boomer & Co. getting all in a lather every time Ozzie sneezes....

Glad you like the new t-shirt design! I'm going to try to add a new one every weekend for the next couple of weeks.

Funny your mention of Cranston, R.I. made me think of how, for whatever reason, I used to change the lyrics of the Squeeze song "Up the Junction" to go "I never thought it would happen/With me and the girl from Cranston."

OOps, my fingers were typing faster than my brain was thinking. That Game 6 would be Clemens beating some other White Sox starter 1-0. That way ex-Spankee starters could win 6 of the 7 World Series Games with a combined ERA of about 2.4ish...Steinbrenner and BigBri would be apoplectic...

That's pretty hilarious HB. I can just hear Tillbrook (or was it Difford?) singing in a Rhody accent: "... when she got too heavy, we had to sell the teevee, late nights by the fiah, and 'Gansett beer inside her ..."

//The Yanks were sure eliminated last night but at least they were STILL playing. How did that game 4 Schilling start go? Riiigghht.//

I heard those comments going down the elevator to lunch today. Some Yankee fan was bragging, with actual PRIDE that, "well, we both lost in the first round, but at least we played longer." Is that what the "greatest franchise in sports history" has come to? Satisfaction over losing in the first round of the playoffs, but playing a couple more games than the Red Sox? I'm pissed the Red Sox lost, period. Perhaps there's a quantum shift occuring as we speak. Because as I left the elevator, the Yankees fan actually said, "Wait until next year." It's our line mister, but you can definitely use it for the next few decades if you want.

Is schadenfreude that feeling I had when I saw that picture of Timlin on his knees last Friday night? That would make a swell avatar on nyyfans.com. Maybe it's that pinched and shriveled look I saw on Gammons' face on ESPN. Yeah that's it.

I'm glad that they had two more games to play. That's two more than Boston. I'm sure any real Boston fan would have loved two more games.

The payroll is what it is. I'm sure that George will continue to spend as long as he has breath in his body. The revenue is there and he spends it. I would do the same! What do any of you care? It's not your tax dollars or your money, just your mantra! $206m didn't do it? Maybe $230m will. Maybe $185m will. Who knows? I do know that baseball needs George and the Yankees, just like YOU Red Sox fans need George and the Yankees. Without a foil, where would you get your holier-than-thou-schtick from?

Yeah, it sucks the Red Sox were eliminated by a sweep (very ignominious), but I don't hear the Yankee fans in my office saying anything about how it was so much better to lose in 5 games. Heck, I'm kinda glad in my petty, mean-spirited way that a) their hope was slightly drawn out and crushed and b) we got to see their defeat AFTER they got to see ours.

Rootin' for the 'stros now. Anyone see that game on Sunday? Really, really sweet. I don't know if their (excellent) pitching can really overcome their (mediocre) hitting in the face of the Cardinals, but we'll see.

Yeah, it sucks the Red Sox were eliminated by a sweep (very ignominious), but I don't hear the Yankee fans in my office saying anything about how it was so much better to lose in 5 games. Heck, I'm kinda glad in my petty, mean-spirited way that a) their hope was slightly drawn out and crushed and b) we got to see their defeat AFTER they got to see ours.

Rootin' for the 'stros now. Anyone see that game on Sunday? Really, really sweet. I don't know if their (excellent) pitching can really overcome their (mediocre) hitting in the face of the Cardinals, but we'll see.

Not holier than thou, Pat, just better at baseball than thou since the "Year two thousand, clap, clap, clap clap clap."

I would have loved for the Sox to win 11 more games, but I would definitely not be crowing if we had won two and the Yankees had lost three straight. Can you imagine how you would react if a Sox fan did that? No, probably you can't...

Not holier than thou, Pat, just better at baseball than thou since the "Year two thousand, clap, clap, clap clap clap."

I would have loved for the Sox to win 11 more games, but I would definitely not be crowing if we had won two and the Yankees had lost three straight. Can you imagine how you would react if a Sox fan did that? No, probably you can't...

Yeah, it sucks the Red Sox were eliminated by a sweep (very ignominious), but I don't hear the Yankee fans in my office saying anything about how it was so much better to lose in 5 games. Heck, I'm kinda glad in my petty, mean-spirited way that a) their hope was slightly drawn out and crushed and b) we got to see their defeat AFTER they got to see ours.

Rootin' for the 'stros now. Anyone see that game on Sunday? Really, really sweet. I don't know if their (excellent) pitching can really overcome their (mediocre) hitting in the face of the Cardinals, but we'll see.

I would have loved 11 more wins, but two more games? I don't think so, unless I had tickets to one of them. And even if the Sox had won two more games and the Yankees had been swept, I would definitely not be bragging about it.

As for holier than thou, I don't profess that the Sox are holier than the Yankees, maybe just a little less chemically enhanced and one championship better at baseball in the 21st Century.

I've heard grumblings that the Spanks are looking to unlook Matsui-san. Prepare the vicious retorts, but I'd love to see him in a Red Sox uniform. That fucker is a scrapper. (This is assuming JDam cuts his cavelocks and puts on the ninny-stripes.)

That should say "unload", obviously. Also, I as derelict in not saying congrats to HB on the sweet WSJ ahticle. My office mate happened to have it on the desk when I read about it, so I was able to whip it out and show it off to every nearby coworker. The ahticle, people, the ahticle.

"I'm glad that they had two more games to play. That's two more than Boston. I'm sure any real Boston fan would have loved two more games."

Yes, it's official: MFY fans have become the working definition of pathetic. Put their picture in the dictionary.

"The payroll is what it is"

And what it is, is, in a word: embarrassing. $203 mm just to barely scramble to 95 wins (94 if you subtract the game against Pittsburgh when Sheffield clearly GIDP'd to end the game, but the ump flat out blew the call). $203 mm spent, only to have to rely on Aaron Small's pact with Satan to get into the postseason. And then to get knocked out in the first round.

But hey...congrats on those two extra-special wins against the Halos. Even though it's the Halos who will be playing baseball tomorrow, and not the MFYs. I guess it could have been worse. At least you didn't choke away an 0-3 lead in the ALCS this year. So at least you have that going for you.

And Bernie, I'm glad to hear that you're satisfied with winning two more games than some other team rather than winning the championship yourself. Of course the way your skills have faded, you'll be lucky if you can start on the YES Network softball team next year. And from reading your inane ramblings, it sounds like we have to add either Alzheimer's or syphilis to the list of your ailments (dead arm, failing eyesight, bad wheels) ... I thought you were one of the classy Yankees, but again you prove that classy Yankee is an oxymoron. And you're just a moron.

But hey, good luck with your new contract and may you roam centerfield at the Stadium until the next millennium. Don't bump into any statues!

I'm probably going to root for the 'Stros as well. I understand the pain of White Sox fans (88 years is a long time), but I can't root for the team that knocked us out, and Guillen is an asshat anyway. The entire world owes the Angels a debt of gratitude, but they're so devoid of personality it's hard to root for them, and they won a title only three years ago. And as for the Cards, I am genetically incapable of rooting for any team whose best player is named Poo Holes.

I still have a soft spot for Clemens, despite his ignominious departure from the Sox and the unspeakable time he spent toiling for the Empire. Let's face it, he was the only reason to pay attention to the Sox in those lost years of the early 90's. In fact, I think it would be a great idea to bring him back for a cup of coffee after his Astros deal runs out, so he can get the one win he needs to surpass Cy Young as the alltime Red Sox victory leader (they're tied at 192 right now.)

My my, the Yankee trolls do seem more numerous and shrill than usual. Odd, isn't it, that a fanbase that used to accept nothing less than a World Series title every year is now crowing about lasting two games longer in the first round before getting bounced. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

I'll not try and spin silk from the odious carnage of last night, nor tempt karma by taking too much pleasure in the ageless Cubano working a bit of bases-loaded magic, but losing like we did, especially after the gem Sunday night, is less painful than getting whumped by the Chicago locomotive, no matter how you'd like to spin things.

May your offseason be rich in family blessings, though I may root for Theo to sign a clunker or two, but always in a good-natured and friendly way. I've heard Mr. Hunter will be patrolling centerfield in the Bronx next year, with Hideki and his sometimes single-A glove safely esconced in left, but I'm certainly no psychic.

1. On the topic of shadenfreude, won't it just kill MFY fans if the Astros win it all on the backs of Clemens and Pettite. Clemens's betrayal of the MFY is a much fresher wound than his issues with the Red Sox. And the MFY's foolish betrayal of Pettite will look all the more foolish if the Astros win. Aren't those good reasons to root for the Astros? I think so.

"but losing like we did, especially after the gem Sunday night, is less painful than getting whumped by the Chicago locomotive, no matter how you'd like to spin things."

Oh, good lord, give it up already. I think a lot of us here are realists, and we realized well before the postseason that the Sox probably didn't have the pitching or depth to do much damage this October. So no, it wasn't painful at all, particularly after last year. It's your fanbase that believes in Mystique and Aura and Intangibles and your Divine Right to championships, so don't tell me blowing a series to an Angel team I'm sure you thought you'd have your way with wasn't so bad because you won a meaningless pair of games along the way. Talk about spin. Of course, it's all relative; I assume it wasn't as bad as blowing a 3-0 ALCS lead....but I wouldn't know, since my team has never done that.

"Won't it just kill MFY fans if the Astros win it all on the backs of Clemens and Pettite."

No.

We love Pettite and Clemens. The Yanks totally fumbled by not re-signing Pettite when they had the chance. The only silver lining there is that Clemens may not have ever pitched after that season, if Pettite were in the Bronx.

There's a lot of haters out there... don't paint all GBY fans with one brush, please. Thanks.

Like I said Candido, I'm rooting for the White Sox to beat the Astros, with Contreras winning three of the four games, El Duque winning one (or at least figuring in one win); and Petitte and Clemens winning all the Astros' games. That would do it or me. But I would not be upset if your scenario came to pass either. Either way, Schadenfrude beats being sad and blue.

I've got a long-standing tradition of rooting for whatever team knocks the MFY out of the playoffs (it explains my years of irrational Jaret Wright-love, a reward for '97's heroics), and no plans to stop this year. Go Angels. Of course, the fact I put some money down on them to go all the way once the Sox were eliminated isn't affecting my rooting at all...

And I'll never, ever, ever forgive that fat traitor. There's a whole litany of sins beyond playing for the MFY, from signing his last 4-year massive (at the time) contract with the Sox and immediately climbing into a bucket of fried chicken for four years, to only finding motivation once he perceived slights from a front office unwilling to again fund his buffet habit for another 4 years, to his illegal trade he forced with the Jays, to his disavowing of the time he spent in Boston and his snub of the Sox fans, and even back to (I realize this is opinion only, but,) asking out of Game 6 (to say nothing of his immature gag job against Dave Stewart in '90).

I realize this is a divisive issue among RSN, and I respect that everyone feels differently about him...but the man was my first sports idol, and I followed his career from the start as I grew up, and I'll forever hate that fat traitor with the fury of the scorned. Simmons has it right--I hope he wears a dollar sign on his cap in the hall.

You girls keep working on your chants and your rhythmic clapping. Perhaps you can knit some Red Sox pom poms during the off season. Pom poms and old Kevin Millar slogan t-shirts. The uniform of the 2006 Red Sox fan. Sweet.

As a fan, I make no apologies for the payroll of the Yankees nor do I gloat over the fact that the Yankees had two more games than the Red Sox. I wish the Yanks were playing tonight. I'll repeat this: Any real Red Sox fan would have been thrilled to have had two more games over the weekend to cheer for. I'm glad that they played it to five. Too bad it's not more. Are you saying that if the Yankees can't win it all, then they have no right to be in the playoffs? Wrong again chowderheads. Your hatred is not rational. The Yanks have a right to compete and try to win the WS as much as any team.

You have to remember, the Yankees only have 39 pennants and 26 WS titles. They do know what it is to have a disappointing finish. They're just not as accomplished at disappointing finishes AS YOU ARE.

This is one of the funniest web sites out there. The only things funnier than the actual clip art frams is the irrational rants of Red Sox fans who have stepped free from reality. Keep up the good work.

Two more games...just enough games to watch Giambi botch a throw to the plate, A-rod GIDP in the 9th, Crosby and Sheffield tackle each other to score 2 runs, and if anything, playing those 2 extra games gave you 18 more innings to make enough errors (six in all) to tie the ALDS record for most errors in the series! Congratulations, New York! You find new ways to choke every year!! You're outstanding in your field....too bad, you can't field the ball well while you're out there.

"It's your fanbase that believes in Mystique and Aura and Intangibles and your Divine Right to championships, so don't tell me blowing a series to an Angel team I'm sure you thought you'd have your way with wasn't so bad because you won a meaningless pair of games along the way. Talk about spin."

Have our way with? Nah, I was frankly surprised we made the post-season. No way the Chacon/Wang/Small/fairy dust was going to carry such a flawed team. And Divine Right? No sense of entitlement here, just a knowledge of how truly lucky I've been as a fan to see what I've seen (a little like I imagine RSN feels, to have been there when it finally, finally, happened) and a knowlege that it may never happen again.

Our ignominous exit hurt, and yes it certainly did hurt less than last year, but I think "Bennie" Williams put it best above. We are more alike than not at this point. Two expensive, flawed teams, both with some amazing stories, that played better than either should have, with interesting off-seasons awaiting them.

And by all means call it spin, call it self-delusion, I won't argue, but it is all about the Sox and Yankees, and the fact that the Sox were done make it easier for me to grin and bear it. And oddly enough, while I'm fairly lukewarm on Clemens one way or the other, I find myself happy at the thought of Duque, Contreras and Petite (even with his somewhat annoying "personal relationship with God" schtick) doing well. Wishing ill on your former players always struck me as a bit tacky.

Are you saying that if the Yankees can't win it all, then they have no right to be in the playoffs? I didn't read where anybody here said that. Who is in whose head? Do you even have a head? Do the eyes in it work? Congrats on the two extra wins then. All we're saying is after winning a championship so recently, two extra wins would not make this post-season that rewarding. But if it works for you, fine. Okay, I've got to go work on my chants and pom-poms now.

Kind of like how much fun it was on Saturday? You know, jabbing pompous Red Sox fans? Getting under their skin?

Instead of "Our resplendence has no bitch" try "Our resplendence lasted less than a year". Neither shirt will work because of the unwritten logo shirt rule: "Thou shalt not use words the fan base can not spell".

"I congratulate the Angels and their manager on the great job they've done. Our team played hard, but we let our fans down. Our fans are the greatest in the world and I want to thank them for their amazing support throughout the season. We will do better."

BigBri, it's good to see you again, buddy! I see you're posting under a different alias (and obviously from a new IP) in order to avoid H.B.'s ban, but we know it's you, because all the hallmarks are there:

2) Blissful ignorance of the fact that your original point (ie, that Sox fans are obsessed by the Yankees) is utterly negated by the fact that you are here, on a Red Sox fan site, displaying your obsession with the Red Sox and their fans

I will give you credit though, Bri: you finally seem to have figured out how to turn the Caps Lock button off.

I never said that you weren't in my head, Princess! I only said that we are sooooo in yours. I said it before and I'll say it again: this site is a hoot! Irrational, girlish, pompous Red Sox fans shouting down anyone who dares to disagree with them? This is better than any reality TV show. I get laughs out of this for days. It's better than SOSH and better than nyyfans.com. Why come here? Why not? There's a whole circle of us West Coasters who read this every day, Red Sox/Yankee/ fans alike. Most of us been surfing here for months. I'm still chuckling over the "Bronson I grow my hymen back for you" strip! And, the guy last week who insisted on changing the facts in Wikipedia because HE didn't like the rules was friggin' hysterical. You can't make this stuff up!

Right you are, HB. The thing is, a lot of Yankee fans just don't have a sense of humor or the self-awareness to see how self-righteous they're being. Of course, I guess that's true about some Sox fans too, but the people who post on this blog are aces. Even the Yankee fans who post here (for the most part) are a lot more reasonable than the average NYYahoo where I work. Although I must say that this year it is much more pleasant to be a Sox fan working in NYC. One thing's for sure, no MFY fan will be plastering my cubicle with A-Rod photos again this winter!

With all this schadenfreude bouncing around, can I just say it's not really schadenfreude. Schadenfreude is when you feel joy at the misfortune of someone you are fond of, such as when a friend fails their driving test and you have to suppress the delight that they failed too the smug bastards.

"'We are more alike than not at this point. Two expensive, flawed teams, both with some amazing stories, that played better than either should have, with interesting off-seasons awaiting them.'

Okay, fair enough. On that we can definitely agree."

Wait, I don't really agree. The Yankees' rotation had Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, and Carl Pavano. (I don't count Brown and Wright, because I knew both were going to have bad seasons.) The fact that these pitchers did worse than expected at least negates the surprising efforts of Chacon, Small and Wang. (Small Wang, heh -- and yes, I know how it's pronounced.) I refuse to see this Yankee season as a "feel-good" story because of their payroll. I would have felt the same way if the Sox had missed the playoffs. I think the Sox deserve much more credit than the Yankees for fighting through problems, which unlike the Yankees', were due to injury more than underperformance.

And I can't believe any Yankee fan would take solace in the fact that they won 2 games in the ALDS. Our loss was disappointing but certainly not heart-wrenching. I live in NYC -- the papers here are SAVAGING the Yankees. The Globe and Herald are much less critical of the Sox (which may be the first time I have ever written that). But if the 2 playoff wins make them feel better, and I suspect down deep it really doesn't, then keep on crowing about it boys.

There's nothing shameful at feeling joy at the misfortune of an enemy, is there? Inherent in schadenfreude is the idea that you're being a bad, baaaad boy/girl for taking delight at their misery because you should feel sympathy for them. Anything else is schadenfreude-lite - or should that be schadenfreude-licht?